20200603007759A

Accident · Substantial damage

FAA accident report · Piper PA-32-260 · Fargo, ND · June 3, 2020

Date: June 3, 2020 · 16:25 local
Place: Fargo, ND
Airport: Hector International
Phase of flight: Ground/Ramp/Ma
Operating rules: General operating rules (Part 91)
Damage: Substantial damage
Aircraft: N3869W
NTSB investigation: NTSBCEN20LA208
Reported as: Piper PA-32-260
Reported engine: Lycoming 0-540 series
People aboard: 2
Fatal injuries: 0
Other injuries: 0

N3869WRegistration cancelled Nov 5, 2022 · Piper PA-32-260S/N 32-814 · Built 1966 Airframe modelPiper PA-32-260 Engine modelLycoming 0-540 seriesReciprocating

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

Pilot and student had just finished a pre-flight of the aircraft. Smoke was noticed coming from the engine cowling during the start sequence. Visible flames were noticed from the engine cowling immediately after engine start-up. The engine was shut down and the aircraft was evacuated.

The aircraft sustained substantial fire damage from the windscreen to the propeller.

Evidence of a localized intense fire was found in the area of the engine driven fuel pump when the cowling was removed. The engine driven fuel pump was pressurized and found to be leaking fuel from the pump body. It is likely this fuel was ignited during the start sequence. Fuel pump failure inconclusive due to the amount of fire damage to the fuel pump and surrounding fuel componants.

As the FAA filed it

PILOT AND STUDENT HAD JUST FINISHED A PRE-FLIGHT OF THE AIRCRAFT. SMOKE WAS NOTICED COMING FROM THE ENGINE COWLING DURING THE START SEQUENCE. VISIBLE FLAMES WERE NOTICED FROM THE ENGINE COWLING IMMEDIATELY AFTER ENGINE START-UP. THE ENGINE WAS SHUT DOWN AND THE AIRCRAFT WAS EVACUATED.

THE AIRCRAFT SUSTAINED SUBSTANTIAL FIRE DAMAGE FROM THE WINDSCREEN TO THE PROPELLER.

EVIDENCE OF A LOCALIZED INTENSE FIRE WAS FOUND IN THE AREA OF THE ENGINE DRIVEN FUEL PUMP WHEN THE COWLING WAS REMOVED. THE ENGINE DRIVEN FUEL PUMP WAS PRESSURIZED AND FOUND TO BE LEAKING FUEL FROM THE PUMP BODY. IT IS LIKELY THIS FUEL WAS IGNITED DURING THE START SEQUENCE. FUEL PUMP FAILURE INCONCLUSIVE DUE TO THE AMOUNT OF FIRE DAMAGE TO THE FUEL PUMP AND SURROUNDING FUEL COMPONANTS.

NTSB investigation

The NTSB’s investigation of this event, with its probable cause and findings. Matched to this report by N-number and date.

NTSB CEN20LA208Accident · No injuriesClass 3 · LimitedFinal reportFargo, NDFailure of the engine driven fuel pump which led to a fuel leak and subsequent fire in the engine compartment.Jun 3, 2020 · Substantial damage

Other reports on N3869W · 1

Matched to the same aircraft by N-number and date.

Accident 20000603014579AMissed Approach IFR · Clinton, OK(-23) When banking a/c in the base leg of short final to Clinton muni airport the engine quit. Pilot switched fuel tanks but the engine would not restart. Attempted to land in a field short and right of the runway. A/c bounced once then on second impact the…Jun 3, 2000 · Substantial damage